


Delirious Ladybug

by GalahadWilder



Series: Sick Days [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, More Fluff, Reveal, fluff fluff fluffies, the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff a fluff, the word "fluff" has lost all meaning to me now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2018-12-09 12:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11669328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalahadWilder/pseuds/GalahadWilder
Summary: Adrien comes home after a long photoshoot to find Marinette Dupain-Cheng asleep in his bed, running a horrific fever. What is she doing there, and how did she get into his house without setting off any alarms? (And why does she keep mumbling his name?)





	1. Who's That Sleeping in My Bed

It had been a long day, and Adrien was glad to be done with it.

He threw his custom Agreste blazer over the back of his chair, too tired to even bother to hang it up. He’d gone straight to a modeling shoot after school and spent the whole evening there; he’d even had to call Ladybug and cancel patrol for that night, ask if she could cover for him, which he really hated doing. He never passed up a chance to be Chat Noir if he could avoid it, but he’d just been SO TIRED.

“Hey, kid,” Plagg called, zipping out of the jacket pocket. “Careful where you throw me!”

“Sorry, Plagg,” Adrien said sheepishly. “Long day.”

“No kidding,” Plagg said, settling down on Adrien’s desk. “You gonna get me some cheese, or…” His gaze drifted to Adrien’s bed. “Oh.”

“Oh what?” Adrien said, turning to follow his Kwami’s eyes. And realized that his bed wasn’t empty. Someone was IN it.

He frantically gestured for Plagg to hide, then crept up to his bed as quietly as he could. Whoever was in it seemed not to notice his approach, simply turning over and mumbling in her - definitely her - sleep. And then Adrien saw her face, and froze.

It was Marinette. Marinette, who’d missed school today because she was too sick to come in. Marinette, whose absence seemed to literally darken the entire classroom. Marinette, who should SERIOUSLY NOT BE IN HIS BED RIGHT NOW.

He felt her forehead. She was feverish, burning up. She should have been in her own house, her own bed… how had she ended up here? How had she gotten past his father’s security?

“Adrien, sweetie,” she mumbled, “come back to bed.”

He stared at her. Did she know where she was? Did she realize he was here? Had she called him “Sweetie”?

She rolled over, waving at something invisible like she was trying to swat a bug. “Mmm, no, Tikki, go away. I don’t want to work in the bakery right now.”

…Shit. This was not good.

***

Alya had not been expecting her phone to ring at that particular time of night. Nor had she been expecting “Adrien Agreste (Sunshine Child)” to show up on her caller ID for that call. But, nonetheless, he was calling, so she picked up.

“Nyello?”

“Hey, Alya, it’s Adrien,” he said from the other line. He sounded breathless, almost panicky. “Do you know Marinette’s parents’ number?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why? What’s up, loverboy?”

“Uhh… okay so this is kind of weird, but… I found Marinette in my bed? And I have no idea how she got here but she seems delirious, and I don’t know if her parents know where she is.”

Alya shot to her feet. “Oh, shit. I’ll be right over.” She snatched her jacket from the back of her chair and bolted for the front door. “I’ll text you their number on the way!”


	2. Sleepy Mumblings

By the time Marinette's parents managed to close the bakery and arrived at the Agreste Mansion, Adrien and Alya had been worrying themselves sick for at least an hour. Marinette hadn't woken up during that entire time, simply tossing and turning in Adrien's bed and mumbling the occasional incoherent phrase.

Adrien sat by her the entire time. He'd moved a chair over to her bedside, where he watched her for any sign of recovery or further distress. Alya bustled about the house, raiding the Agrestes' medicine cabinet and bringing Marinette--and Adrien--ice packs, drinks, anything she thought could help them both. But Adrien couldn't move. He just kept watching Marinette, watching the slow rise and fall of the covers that signified that she was still breathing, the soft flutter of her eyelids as she mumbled something in her sleep. The freckles dusted lightly across her nose. She looked so fragile, like this, but so peaceful as well.

The speaker in the wall buzzed, and Alya stood to receive the call. "Hello?" she said into the speaker grille.

"Um, hello, this is Sabine Dupain-Cheng?" a bright, tinny voice replied. "My husband and I are here for our daughter."

"Sure, I'll buzz you right up," Alya said, pressing the button that opened the gate. She turned to Adrien. "Dude, are you okay? You haven't moved in, like, an hour."

"She seems so weak," Adrien murmured.

Alya laid a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be okay," she said. "I'm going to go get her parents, okay?"

Adrien barely nodded, but she took that as an assent and left.

Adrien sat, and did nothing.

Suddenly, Marinette opened her eyes and tilted her head to meet his gaze. He'd never seen her eyes this close before, never realized how blue they were. Never realized exactly what it would feel like to have that flame-blue gaze LOCKED on his own.

"Adrien, honey," she croaked, "did you remember to pick Emma up from school?"

"Who's Emma?"

Marinette smiled. "Our daughter, silly."

Adrien clasped his hand around Marinette's. "Marinette... we don't have a daughter."

"Oh." Mercifully, she finally broke his gaze, turning away. "Who'll play with Hugo?"

"Marinette?" he said, squeezing her hand.

"Mmm?" She turned back to look at him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she said. "Scratchy. Snotty." She giggled. "Fulllll of snot."

"We've got some decongestants for you?" Adrien said, pulling his hand away from hers to reach for the medicine tray that Alya had brought.

But, before he could escape her reach, she'd gripped his hand and yanked it back towards her again. "Adrien," she gasped. "I need... I need..."

"What is it, Marinette?" he asked, leaning in close. She seemed so desperate, and for a moment, all Adrien could think was _Help her_.

"Tell Chat Noir I'm sorry. For... for not finishing patrol."

"You... what?"

But she was already asleep again, leaving him in flabbergasted silence.


	3. Checkups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir checks in on Marinette

Marinette's parents had taken her home hours ago, and Alya had left after making sure Adrien was all right in his house alone--which he was, with Nathalie and his father out of town. He'd assured her that he was all right by himself, and besides, he had the Gorilla--but he hadn't told her what he was planning to do.

Chat Noir perched on the railing on Marinette's balcony, staring down through the skylight while her parents doted on their sick daughter, making sure she was comfortable and she had everything she needed, tucking her in, brushing the hair out of her face, kissing her goodnight... Chat began to cry as he watched them. Was this what a real family looked like? A family that cared about their child?

It wasn't long before Marinette's parents left to go to bed, turning out the lights as they went. He waited a few more minutes, still as a gargoyle, to make sure they weren't coming back, before he quietly opened the skylight and slinked into the room.

Despite his heavy boots, he walked as quietly as his namesake as he padded across the shadowed floor towards Marinette's bed. Then, thinking better of it, he turned and lay himself out on her chaise lounge. He was determined to be there for her if she woke up tonight, but he didn't want to invite himself into her bed. He just needed to be where he could help.

He'd barely closed his eyes when he heard her speak. "Kitty?" she croaked. "What are you doing down there?"

He boggled for a moment at how she'd realized he was there before clearing his throat. "I... came in to check on you," he said. "Just... wanted to make sure you were all right."

"You're here to look after me, aren't you," she sighed. "How romantic." She hummed, a satisfied sound that send shivers through his body all the way to the tips of his cat ears.

"Uh... yeah, Princess. Is it okay if I... stay here tonight?"

There was a moment of silence while he waited for her response. "No," her voice finally floated down from her lofted bed, and his heart fell--before she continued, "Kitty needs to come up here for cuddles."

Thoroughly blushing now from his head to the tips of his toes, he got up from her chaise and scampered towards the ladder of her bed. "Are you sure, Princess?" he said, looking up at her.

She snorted. "Get up here, _Minou,_ " she said.

He clambered up the ladder and onto the bed, only for her to grab his wrist and yank her down next to him, wrapping him in an embrace so strong that even with his enhanced strength he didn't think he could break it of it. "Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur," she crooned with her eyes closed, then coughed. 

"Princess, are you all right?" 

"Shhhhh." She patted him on the head, still not opening her eyes. "Silly Kitty. Teddy bears don't talk." 

God, she was so beautiful. How had he never noticed it before? How had he never turned in his seat just to look at this girl who had such fire in her, such warmth and joy, such absolute beauty? 

She groaned. "F'rgot to say sorry." 

"What for?" 

"Couldn't..." She coughed. "Couldn't finish patrol. Fell asleep in someone's bed." 

"Whose?" He already knew the answer, but... she might expect him to ask. 

"Adrien's I think. He's so _pretty_." She smiled and booped him on the nose. "Pretty Kitty. Pretty like you." 

Oh god, he was thoroughly red now. Red everywhere. She thought he was _pretty_? She thought _both_ of him were pretty? 

"Mmm." She turned over. "Make room for Adrien when he gets back, okay Kitty? Don't want to make him jealous." She buried herself deeper in her blankets. "Got my boys... My pretty boys..." 

Then she started snoring like a rusty chainsaw, leaving a VERY confused Chat Noir to spend the rest of the night lying awake, wondering what she'd meant. 


	4. Meet the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir wakes up in an expected situation.

Adrien had meant to wake up early the next morning so that he could head home before Marinette or her parents woke up. Meant to.

He woke up to find Sabine Dupain-Cheng looming over him, having climbed up into Marinette's bed to check in on her daughter. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, and Chat Noir had never been more grateful that Ladybug had cleared his name after the Copycat incident. And he was  _very_ happy that neither one of them screamed.

"What are you doing in my daughter's bed?" Marinette's mother hissed.

"I swear I didn't mean to!" Chat whispered back. "I was just dropping by to check on her, and she... um..." He swallowed. "She invited me up. Which, I promise, sounds worse than it is!"

She glared at him for a moment. "My daughter is  _sick_!" she said. "Is now really the best time for you to--"

"I know!" Chat hissed. "That's why I'm  _here_! She seemed so out of it earlier, and I just wanted to make sure she was all right!"

Instantly, Sabine's expression softened. "Oh," she said. "You're trying to look after her, aren't you?"

Chat nodded, relieved. "Much as I can." He glanced down at the sleeping girl beside him. "She pulled me up, wouldn't take no for an answer."

Sabine laughed. "Yes, that's our Marinette," she said, reaching down to Chat Noir. "Why don't we get you some breakfast?"

He grasped her hand and let her pull him upright. "Oh, no, ma'am, that's all right, there's no need to--"

"I insist," she interrupted with a smile. "I was wondering why she'd slept so soundly last night."

She brought Chat down into the kitchen--the family kitchen, not the bakery--where they found the absolutely GIANT man that was Marinette's father. "How is she, dear?" he said, before turning and seeing Chat Noir and shooting to his feet. "What are you doing here?" he growled.

Sabine laid a hand on Tom's chest. "Gentle, dearest," she said. "He was looking after our daughter. Nothing untoward."

Tom narrowed his eyes down at the cat. "You're not lying to me, are you boy?"

Chat swallowed. "No sir," he said, saluting. "Cat's honor."

Sabine laid a hand on her husband's shoulder. "I invited him to stay for breakfast, since he took so much time out of his busy schedule to look after our Marinette." She looked at him. "How do you know her, anyway?"

"Oh, we're in the same class," Chat said, pulling out a chair for himself.

"And you said she seemed out of it earlier?"

"Yeah?"

"You must be Adrien, then," Sabine said. "Marinette's said so much about you."


	5. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets to know Marinette's family.

Chat's heart stopped. "What?" he stammered. "I'm... I'm not... who's Adrien?"

"Shhhh, it's all right, dear," Sabine said, patting him on the back. "Have a croissant."

Tom guffawed, crumbs spraying out of his mouth before he hurriedly put his hand in front of his mouth with an sheepish grin. He swallowed, then met Chat's eyes. "Just like her, eh?" he said.

Chat crossed his arms, his eyes drifting downward. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"There are only so many blond boys in her class, you know," Sabine said, pouring herself a glass of milk. "And only one boy we know of who was around her earlier today."

Chat's eyes flicked between them, before he finally gave up. "Claws in," he said with a sigh. Green light ran down his body, and the inky form of the cat god of destruction spiraled out from the ring.

"Hey! You owe me a LOT of cheese for last night!" Plagg snapped. "You and your stupid human feelings."

Tom gasped. "That thing is so cute!"

Plagg spun in midair to meet Marinette's father's eyes. In shock, he lost his grip on the air and dropped straight to the table. "Adrien, did you just transform in front of people?"

"Yep." Adrien snatched a cheese croissant from a nearby plate and dropped it in front of Plagg. "Have some cheese."

"So," Sabine said, leaning forward and steepling her fingers. "How long have you and Marinette been dating?"

Adrien added his own crumbs to Tom's. "We--what?"

 "How long have you and my daughter been together?"

Adrien shook his head. "Oh, no, we're not... we're not together. We're not dating or anything, she's just a friend," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Mm hmm," Tom replied through a mouth full of pancake. "I remember saying that about you, didn't I my little dumpling?"

Sabine giggled, putting on hand to her cheek and swatting her husband with the other. "Oh, you know how kids are," she said. "So much trouble with their feelings."

"I'm serious!" Adrien said. "I'm not..."

He trailed off as he saw Marinette stumble down the stairs, and before he even realize what he was doing, he'd crossed the room to her, catching her before she could hit the ground.

"Mmm... morning, Kitty," she yawned, her eyes half-closed.

"Princess, what are you doing up?" he murmured. "You should be in bed."

"M'fine," she mumbled back. "Gotta... gotta go... school."

"Marinette, it's Saturday," he said, pulling her back upright. "No school today."

"Mm." She draped herself over him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Why are you so _big_ , Kitty?" she said. "You jumped in front of an Akuma again, didn't you." She flicked his nose with her finger. "Bad Kitty."

Adrien reached under her to pick her up in a bridal carry. "Come on, Princess," he said. "Let's... get you back to bed, yeah?"

"Mmhmm." Her head lolled back in his arms. "Tell Adrien to bring me some cheese when he gets here... he always has some. Smelllllly cheese." Her body went limp in his arms, her breathing smoothing out as she fell asleep again.

Tom crept up behind Adrien. "So..." he said, a grin as wide as his mustache creeping across his face. "Princess?"

Adrien swallowed. "I, uh, I... I'm not--we're not... I--"

"Oh, leave the poor boy alone," Sabine said, poking her husband in the shoulder with a fork. She looked over at Adrien. "Isn't your family going to be worried that you're missing?"

Adrien shook his head. "No, Ma'am," he said. "My father and his assistant are out of town for the weekend, it's just me in the house."

Sabine gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "What sort of person does that to a child?"

Tom gathered up Marinette from Adrien's arms. "Tell you what, son--you can't have gotten much sleep last night. How about I take 'Princess' here back up to bed and you go have a nap in our room."

Adrien swallowed, trying to hide the smile that crept up his face. "Thank you, sir."

Tom laughed. "There's no need to call me 'sir,' young man."

Adrien gave a little half-bow ( _why did I do that?_ ) and an embarrassed, lopsided grin/grimace. "I'll... try and remember that... Mr. Dupain-Cheng."

As he went off to bed, he heard Sabine laugh from the kitchen behind him. "Oh, I like this one!" she said. "Did you hear? He called me ma'am!"

Adrien smiled. Ma'am was nothing.

Tom had called him son.


	6. The Things Adrien Knows

Adrien woke up to the feeling of tiny paws kneading his cheek.

"Come _on_ , sleepyhead!" Plagg groaned. "Wake up!"

Adrien swatted him, but his hand only passed through the Kwami's body. "Five more minutes," he muttered, turning over and snuggling closer to his pillow.

Plagg proceeded to slap his nose. It felt like a bee sting.

"Ow!" Adrien sat up, rubbing his nose. "What was that for?"

"Akuma!" Plagg said. "Come on, we need to go!"

"Oh, crud," Adrien said, rolling out of bed. He looked around the room that wasn't his in surprise before remembering how he'd spent his morning. "Since when did you care? Usually you're more into food."

Plagg paused. "Uh... I've always cared," he said, haltingly.

"You," Adrien said, poking his personal god in the tummy, "are a terrible liar." He threw open the door. "Come on, we need to go!"

He ran downstairs to find Mme. Dupain-Cheng at the bakery. "I need to borrow a jar," he said, breathless.

"Adrien?" she said, pausing her mixing--he assumed it was for cake batter or something equally delicious. "Why a jar?"

"Akuma," he said. "Ladybug's out of town today." The lie rolled off his tongue far more easily than he would have expected, but he didn't exactly have time to explain his hunch and Paris was in crisis. If he was wrong, she'd just assume he'd been misled. If he was right...

"Of course," Sabine said, grabbing a Mason jar from a nearby shelf. "Good luck out there."

"Thanks, mom," he said without thinking, as he raced up the stairs with the jar in hand.

"Did you just call her 'mom'?" Plagg asked from inside his jacket.

Adrien stopped and ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Ugh... yeah, I did. I'll apologize later." He held up his ring. "Claws out!"

Plagg, ever the overdramatic shit, shrieked as he was drawn into the ring and Adrien felt the comforting transformation wash over him.

***

Carrying the jar all the way across Paris had been difficult, but it looked--disappointingly--like it had paid off. He'd been fighting the Akuma for fifteen minutes, and no Ladybug to be found.

Of course, maybe his lie had been true and she actually WAS out of town, but now was not the time to think about that.

He ducked out of the way of the Akuma's giant fist, parrying with his baton and launching himself to the side with the impact. Finding the Akumatized object wasn't hard--the locket around the monster's neck was fairly easy to spot--but this particular Akuma was fairly difficult to get past. Too many arms. He needed a distraction.

Unfortunately, what he got was a distraction for _him_ , not the Akuma.

Ladybug dropped out of the sky and landed on her butt. "Whoops," she giggled.

Chat stared at her for a moment, narrowly escaping a giant fist to the face. Oh, _shit_.

Ladybug unsteadily rose to her feet. "Surrender, Akuma!" she shouted, pointing at the multi-armed monstrosity. "Or... we... wow that's a lot of hands." She smiled. "High five!" she said, raising her arm.

Fuck fuck FUCK.

Chat dove into her as the Akuma swung, snatching her yoyo from her belt and flinging them both towards a nearby rooftop.

"Put me down, Kitty!" she shrieked, beating on his back with her tiny fists. "We have to stop the Akuma!"

Chat set her down on the rooftop. "What are you doing out of bed?" he said.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "I'm _fine_ ," she groaned, though the hoarseness in her voice said otherwise.

Chat flattened his lips as his fingers tightened around her arms. "Oh?" he said. "How many kids do we have?"

She looked at him sideways, like he was the biggest idiot in the world. "Three, silly," she said.

Chat shook his head. "Ladybug, we don't have any kids."

She sniffled, staring up at him with wide, wet blue eyes. "Not even Emma?"

He shook his head. _Fuck_ , those eyes... "Not even Emma." He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her in for a hug. "Look, just... stay here, okay? I'll get the Akuma, and you can catch it."

"Okay!" she chirped, before collapsing into a happy puddle on the ground.

Son of a...

He needed to make this quick.

***

Undignified as it was, it was much easier to carry Ladybug home over his shoulder than in the bridal carry he'd have preferred. He wasn't Superman; he couldn't fly. He needed at least one arm for parkour, and she really threw off his balance.

He threw open the trapdoor to her room and collapsed into her bed, flinging down alongside him with a gasp.

He took a moment to relax. It had been a difficult battle, especially with him trying to steer the Akuma away from Ladybug, lest she get back up and attempt to start helping again.

He felt Ladybug crawl to the edge of her bed. He looked up to see her waving down at her father, who was staring up at the two of them from her chaise. "Hello Papa," she said. "Kitty brought me home! Isn't that sweet of him?"

Tom's gaze crossed to Chat. "What happened?"

Chat groaned. "This little idiot thought it would be a good idea to come help instead of staying in bed like she was _supposed_ to." He squeezed Ladybug's shoulder. "I kept her out of the fight, and brought her back as soon as I could."

"Did you know?"

Chat was surprised by the ice in the man's voice. "Sir?" he said.

"Did you know my little girl was _risking her life_?"

Chat shook his head. "Not until today."

"Papa's here, Kitty's here," Ladybug said, rolling into her back. "Everybody's here." Her eyes focused and looked up at Chat. "Where's Tikki?"

"You're still wearing her, Bugaboo," he murmured.

"Oh," she said. "Spots off!"

He'd known, of course--he'd figured it out a few hours ago. Her ramblings had clued him in, and her showing up sick to battle had been the last bit of proof he needed to be sure. But, for some reason, seeing it happen--seeing Ladybug disappear and turn into Marinette--something about it seemed more final. Like there was no more room for doubt.

Marinette was his Lady.

"Night, Kitty," she said, rolling over and going to sleep.

Chat met Tom's eyes. _Oh God_ , he thought. _Please don't kill me_.

"I think we should talk," Tom said. "Downstairs."


	7. Panic Attacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mentions of abuse. Skip to below the cut if you need to.

Adrien had spent the last few months of his life fighting monsters big enough and strong enough to crush his entire body. He'd been thrown from flying cars, had the entire Eiffel Tower dropped on his head, seen the love of his life leap headfirst into a dinosaur's mouth, and even actually died on one occasion--and yet, he would rather have faced Horrificator all over again, or been arrested again, or thrown from a flying car, rather than face the rage of Marinette's parents.

He couldn't decide which of them scared him more. Sabine was pacing a rut in the kitchen floor--he practically could see the scuff marks she was leaving on the linoleum. "Who put my baby in danger?" she growled. "Who on earth decided to put the fate of Paris in the hands of two CHILDREN?"

He could see where Ladybug got it from, that righteous fury that had always terrified him whenever she lost control of her temper. Sabine may have been tightly controlling her reactions, but she was still simmering, about to explode, and he didn't want to be anywhere near her when that happened.

Tom's reaction was almost worse. He was utterly silent, his face expressionless and cold, his arms folded across his massive chest. His eyes bored into Adrien's skull, drilling wintery rage into his forehead. Every move Tom made, every errant twitch, made Adrien flinch just a little, though he quickly schooled himself, remaining as still as he could, attempting not to draw the huge man's attention any further. He'd seen expressions like that before. He'd been hit enough by one father.

Sabine rounded on him, taking him by surprise while he'd been focusing on her husband. "This is unconscionable!" she said. "How could you have agreed to this? How could anyone have thought this was a good idea?"

"I... I... I don't know?" Adrien offered, meek, attempting to show as little emotion as possible. "I just... I don't..." The words caught in his throat. Nothing he could say would make a difference, and he could barely speak anyway. He was on the verge of tears, he could tell, and he could feel his pulse crushing his ears. His breath was coming short, his throat tight. Everything felt too hot.

Tom's hand landed on his back, and Adrien's entire body curled involuntarily as he registered the impact of the hand of a man so much larger than him. In his panicked state, it took him a moment to realize that Tom had not struck him; rather, Marinette's father was attempting to reassure him. "Are you... are you okay, son?"

Adrien sucked in a huge breath that rattled down his windpipe, practically falling off the counter.

Tom leaped backward. "Sacré Bleu! Are you..."

Sabine grasped her husband's arm, opening her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Adrien curled into himself with ragged breaths, every muscle tense and spasming, fingers twitching as tears flowed from his eyes.

***

Marinette dragged herself out of sleep slow and painful, her nose stuffed and her throat scratchy and sweat sticking her body to her sheets. Her face was crusted to her pillow with snot, and every part of her felt itchy and rough.

"Uggh," she croaked, pulling herself away from her pillow. "I feel awful."

"I'm not surprised," Tikki said. "You tried to fight an Akuma yesterday with a forty degree fever."

"Oh." Marinette blinked against the harsh light of her room, squeezing her battered sinuses between her thumb and forefinger. "Is Chat okay?"

Tikki's mouth twitched in a grimace. "You two are unbelievable," she growled. "Yes, he's fine, but we have a bigger problem."

"Bigger problems can wait," Marinette said, rolling over. "M'sick. I should be allowed to sleep."

Tikki flitted around her head to her face and flicked her in the nose. "Marinette, you detransformed in front of Chat!" she said. "AND your father!"

Marinette froze. "Papa saw?"

"Yes!" Tikki whisper-yelled. "So you can understand why I am a little agitated?"

"Oh god," Marinette mumbled. This was... she couldn't deal with this. She'd had nightmares about this for months, and now it was... it couldn't be happening. Just another nightmare, right?

"I hid, so I don't know how much they saw or know," Tikki continued, "but..." She trailed off. "Oh, no."

"Oh no what?" Marinette croaked, sitting up--and nearly headbutting a tiny, flying black cat.

Chat Noir's Kwami.

It was moving all of its limbs at once, animated, practically panicking in a way she'd never seen Tikki do. "I need your help, Teeks," he said. "The kid's freaking out and he won't listen to me, I can't calm him down! I'm no good at this, you've always been better at--"

Tikki wrapped her arm around the cat's shoulder. "Shhh, it's okay, it's okay," she murmured. "Give it a minute and I can--"

Marinette only heard part of their conversation before she suddenly understood what was happening. _Chat needs my help._

The thought barely even had time to pass through her brain before she'd flung herself out of bed, slid down the ladder, and bolted for her bedroom door.

"Marinette, no!" Tikki yelled, but she was already halfway down the stairs.

Marinette entered the kitchen at a run, barely able to take the time to process what she was seeing. Chat was sitting on the edge of the counter, out of uniform and facing away from her, shuddering and sobbing in a way that was almost disturbingly familiar. Her parents were attempting to comfort the shaking boy, but seemed to be wary of getting close, almost afraid that they would set him off again.

Marinette had no such qualms. Before she'd even stopped to think, she pushed off the floor with the ball of her foot, leaping onto the counter and sliding across it on her butt, then wrapping her legs around Chat's waist from behind, following up with her arms around his chest and her chin on his shoulder.

"Hey," she breathed in his ear, squeezing him as tight as she could. "It's okay. You're okay. I'm here. You're okay."

Her parents stared at her in shock--they'd had no idea that she could do anything like this, of course, though that thought barely processed in her mind. All of her attention was focused on Chat, as his shuddering slowly began to slow, finally coming to a halt as he heaved in massive gulps of air.

Then, finally, he reached up and grasped her hand with his own, giving it a squeeze.

"Are you okay, Chaton?" she asked.

He leaned his head into hers, their hair flattening between them. "Better, My Lady," he said. "Now that you're here."


	8. Warm Comforts

A few moments passed in silence as Chat’s trembling began to quiet. Marinette held him close against her body, feeling every shiver that coursed through his muscles, every twitch of a tendon, slowly decreasing in violence with every second that passed. Finally, the tension bled from Chat’s frame, and he slumped against her, sniffling.

”What happened—?” Tom said, reaching forward.

Chat tensed, jerking away from her father’s hand.

”He needs space,” Marinette said, suddenly mindful of the snot in her voice. “Give him a few minutes.”

”Space?” Tom said, looking his daughter up and down. She was still wrapped bodily around the boy, clutching him as tightly as she’d ever held one of her stuffed animals.

“Papa, you’re big,” she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Her father stared down at his hand, as if noticing its gargantuan size for the first time, then nodded and stepped back. “Dumpling,” he said, looking at his wife, “where do we keep the tea? I think our boy might need some.”

”It’s in the pantry, on the top shelf,” she said. “I’ll warm up the pot.”

Both of them sent inquisitive glances at their daughter, but she waved them off. She could handle this. Chat needed her.

Slowly, she unwrapped herself from him, and pressed her back against his—but kept his hand in hers. She wasn’t quite ready to see his face; that would cause another emergency, and she was dealing with one of those already. She waited for his breathing to smooth out, to deepen, before she spoke.

”I’m sorry if Papa scared you,” she said. “He’s a big teddy bear, I promise.”

Chat sniffled. “It’s all right, My Lady,” he said. “I shouldn’t have panicked like that. I’m usually in better control of myself.”

Her nails dug into the marble of her countertop as she considered the meaning of his words. “ _Better control_.” She’d always suspected that Chat’s boisterous and playful demeanor had been as much of a mask as the physical one he wore. She knew he worked himself to the point of collapse, given how frequently he’d shown up for patrols stumbling and half-asleep, yet still trying to joke like everything was normal.

She squeezed his hand. “You’re allowed to fall apart every once in a while, you know,” she murmured.

He shook his head. “No, I’m not,” he said. “I have... commitments. People depend on me.”

”Depend on _us_ ,” she corrected.

”Not just Paris,” he said. “I can’t _afford_ to screw up. If I do, I... lose the only shot I have at a normal life.” He sniffed. “I just... There’s so much pressure. I have to be the golden boy, all the time, or else...”

”Or else you’ll never forgive yourself,” Marinette finished. She smiled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “What, you thought _Ladybug_ wouldn’t understand?”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say. She could feel him closing up, the tension rising in his shoulders once more. “You’re right,” he said. “I shouldn’t be complaining. You have so many people depending on you...”

”Okay, stop,” Marinette said. She turned halfway and ruffled her fingers through his hair. “My problems do _not_ invalidate yours.”

Chat leaned into her hand with a blissful sigh. “But—”

”No. No buts,” she said. “You don’t have to be grateful that it isn’t worse. Okay?”

Chat whimpered as his muscles finally loosened. “Okay,” he whispered.

”You are ALLOWED to feel overwhelmed. You are ALLOWED to feel stressed.” She gripped his face and turned it towards her, meeting his eyes of brilliant green with her own. “And you are ALLOWED to tell me about it. Okay?”

Chat swallowed. “Okay.”

She releases his face. “You are my partner, and my best friend,” she said. “If you’re hurting, I need you to tell—”

Then she processed the face she was looking at, and her voice strangled off into a squeak.

Adrien _Adrien_ **Adrien**  ADRIEN AGRESTE stared back at her, concern written across his face as he reached forward to brush her cheek. “P-Princess?”

Her only response was a most un-Ladybug-like shriek as she suddenly found herself on the floor.


	9. Ladybugs Like Dark Spaces

Tom Dupain-Cheng made sure to take a very long time in the pantry. He hadn’t liked the look in Adrien’s eyes, the vacant gaze of a beaten dog, the way he folded in on himself as if he was scared to even touch the world. If his daughter could calm the boy down, then that was all right with him.

He rifled through the boxes of tea leaves, trying to decide which of them would be best for the poor boy’s nerves. Or, faking the decision—he already knew which it would be, he just wanted to give them a little longer. Until he heard his daughter shriek from the other room.

Boxes of tea spilled on the floor as he raced out into the kitchen to find Adrien, standing, confused, and... where was Marinette?

Adrien looked up, scrabbling backward at Tom’s headlong charge. “She’s fine!” he yelped. “She’s just in the cupboard?”

Tom straightened, staring at the boy with one eye squinted. “The cupboard?”

Adrien nodded, swallowing.

Tom leaned down and knocked on the cupboard door. “Marinette, sweetie?” he said. “Do you want to come out?”

”Marinette isn’t here right now,” her muffled voice replied through the thin cupboard door. “Please leave a message. _Beeeeeeep_.”

Tom looked up at Adrien, who shrugged. He turned back to the cupboard door. “You really scared Adrien,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come out?”

”Yes. I live here now.”

Adrien licked his lips. “Is she... scared of me?” he asked.

“Oh god!” Suddenly they heard a slam from inside the cabinet. “Ow!”

”Pumpkin?”

”Chat saw the pictures which means _Adrien saw the pictures_!” Marinette screeched. “Oh god he must think I’m a freak...”

”I don’t think you’re a freak, Princess,” Adrien said, leaning in close to the cabinet door.

She was silent for a moment, before her muffled voice wafted back out of the cupboard. “It’s nice of you to say that, but I think I’ll keep dying of embarrassment in here, thanks.”

Adrien looked up at Tom. “Is this... normal?”

”When it comes to talking about you?” Tom replied, laughing. “Yes.”

Adrien bit his lip. “At least she’s speaking in complete sentences. That’s new.” He sighed. “I thought we were really getting somewhere, friends-wise. I guess she really hates me, huh?”

Tom’s eyes narrowed, halfway between flinty and shining. “Son,” he said, “with the way she talks about you, her mother and I have already begun gambling on how long it’s going to be until the wedding.”

” _Papa_!” Marinette shrieked from inside her cabinet hidey-hole.

“What? It’s true!” Tom called back. He leaned in close to Adrien. “Did you know she has your schedule written out on a pull-down calendar in her room?”

”She WHAT?”

It was at that moment that his wife entered the room. “Darling,” she said, “where is Marinette? I heard screaming.”

Tom gestured to the cabinets. “She’s hiding in there,” he said. “Do you think you could help us get her out?”

Sabine scoffed. “I’m her mother,” she said, turning to the cabinet. “Marinette, I have fresh cookies for you and your friend!”

“Is Adrien still there?”

”Yes?”

”Then cookies aren’t worth dying for.”

Sabine wandered over to the table and laid the cookies out on the varnished wood. “How does she even fit in there?”

”Well, she is very flexible...” Adrien said.

Sabine gasped. Tom chuckled.

”Oh god I didn’t mean it like that!” Adrien yelped. “I mean, like, when she’s Ladybug, she... I’m going to stop talking now.”

Tom nodded, snatching a cookie from his wife’s tray. “Might be for the best,” he said, kissing Sabine on the cheek. He munched on the cookie, waiting to see how his daughter and her friend would find their way out of this situation. He knew they would, after all, so for now he might as well enjoy it.

”So, wait,” Adrien said, reaching for a cookie. “Why does she have my schedule?”

”Isn’t it obvious?” Sabine said with a giggle. “She’s absolutely head-over-heels for you.”

Adrien dropped his cookie. “She’s what?”

”Sabine, darling, I think this is something we should let them talk about on their own,” Tom said. “We should go get started on Madame Kurtzberg’s cake.”

***

”Marinette?” a soft voice called from outside the cupboard. “You can come out now.”

She sat in darkness, her knees to her chest and her hands on her ears, and shook her head. “I’m just going to embarrass myself in front of you.”

”You won’t, I promise.”

”Of course I will. You’re Adrien. I can barely even string two words together around you—”

”Actually I’m not.”

”What?”

”I’m not Adrien right now.”

She could hear it, then, the difference in his voice, the lilting drawl that separated Adrien from Chat Noir. She’d never thought about it before. But then, she’d never had the opportunity.

”You may not be able to talk to Adrien,” he said, “but you’ve never held back from Chat.”

And, somehow, amazingly, he was right. Even though they were the same person, the prospect of talking to her goofy, flirty partner was somehow much less daunting than talking to her perfect crush. She could do this. She could do this.

She steeled herself, took a deep breath, and opened the door.


	10. Work Things Out

“So...” Marinette began, clutching a steaming mug of tea between her hands. It felt nice—the steam was clearing her sinuses as she spoke. “I’m not sure where to start.”

”Yeah,” Chat said. “This is... a little awkward, isn’t it.”

Marinette nodded.

Chat out a finger to his chin. “Let’s start somewhere simple. You like Adrien?”

She took a sip of tea, taking a moment to appreciate that he was keeping “Adrien” separate from “Chat.” It helped her keep her thoughts straight. “Yeah, I do.”

Chat smiled, as if—even after everything else today—he hadn’t quite expected that answer. “Can I ask where that started?”

She nodded. “I was... stuck in the rain, and he loaned me his umbrella.”

Chat sucked in a breath. “I didn’t think you’d still remember that.”

Marinette giggled. “I haven’t been able to forget it, honestly. He... showed a sincerity, and a kind heart, that I haven’t been able to get out of my head since.” She tilted her head. “I still have the umbrella, you know. It’s in my closet.”

”So you don’t like him because he’s a model, or an Agreste?”

Marinette tried to laugh, and snorted instead. “You remember the gum incident.”

”Oh, god, yes,” Chat said, dropping his chin to his sternum. “I assumed you didn’t like me for MONTHS.”

She tilted her head incredulously. “You’ve SEEN how I act with Chloé, right?”

Chat drummed his fingers on the kitchen table, his claws clacking against the wood. “So... you don’t like Adrien because of his reputation, but because of his heart.”

Marinette nodded. “Because he had every right to judge me, and to be angry at me, and he took the time to be kind anyway.” She sipped her tea, then put the cup down, staring at it. “You know...” she began, flicking the handle and spinning the cup, “I think that same kindness is why I fell for Chat Noir, too.”

Chat swallowed. “Oh.”

Marinette leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “So. You like Ladybug.”

Chat smirked. “What, that wasn’t obvious?”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I thought you were kidding, _Minou_.” Her eyes grew pensive. “At least... I did until Glaciator.”

Chat swallowed. “Oh,” he said. “I didn’t realize.”

”Didn’t you, though?” Marinette said. “All of that flirting, you made it JUST over-the-top enough so that it was easy not to take you seriously.”

Chat sighed, rubbing his nose with his fingers. “I... didn’t want you to reject me.”

”I know the feeling,” Marinette murmured. “Why do you think I have so much trouble talking to you outside of the mask?”

They both stared down at the table.

”I do need to ask about the schedule,” Chat said finally.

Marinette groaned, faceplanting into the table. “Oh, god,” she said. “I knew that was going to bite me in the butt.”

Chat raised an eyebrow.

”I made a lot of excuses for why I couldn’t talk to Adrien,” she said, still facedown on the hardwood. “I was obsessed with him, but I didn’t handle it well? I think I ended up stalking you a bit.”

Chat smirked. “Why, My Lady, that’s adorable!”

Marinette straightened. “No! It isn’t!” she yelled. “It’s creepy and weird and the only reason you’re okay with it is because you like me!”

”Uh...”

”What if Lila had done the same thing?”

”Oh.” Chat swallowed. “Yeah. But, I mean... it’s not like I haven’t made similar mistakes. Remember Copycat?”

”The one who framed you for theft and nearly got you thrown in prison?”

”Yeah. I told him we were in a relationship, and that’s how he got akumatized.”

Marinette grimaced. “You know I hate liars, Chat.”

Chat hung his head. “I know.”

They both stared at the table. Marinette could feel her tea growing colder, but neither of them spoke.

Chat finally broke the silence. “So...” he said. “What are we?”

Marinette shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “Still partners. Still best friends. But beyond that...”

Chat reached forward to take her hand, as if to kiss it, but she pulled back. “No,” she said. “Not yet.”

Chat stared at her, confusion written across his face. “Why not?” he said. “You said you like me, and I know I like you. Isn’t that enough?”

”I’m not walking into this confused,” Marinette said. “We both need to sort out our feelings before we make any decisions, or we’ll never be sure we made the right ones.” She raised her tea to her face, but didn’t drink, staring into the liquid. “I’ve spent so long thinking of Chat and Adrien as separate people...” She sighed. “I still trust you, Kitty. With everything I am. I just... need a few hours to know you again.”

Chat drew back. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go—they loved each other, right? There were supposed to be tearful confessions, and then the kiss, and then they’d stay together for the rest of their lives. He couldn’t bear to lose her.

“I promise, I’m not leaving you,” Marinette said, reading the expressions on his face. She reached forward, laying her hand on top of his. “I do love you, Chat. I just... need some time to figure out how.” She smiled. “I’ll drop by your place tonight, okay? You should get some rest. Think it over.”

***

Though he tried, Adrien did not sleep well for the rest of the afternoon, and spent it staring at his clock in a futile attempt to force time to move faster.


	11. Take Things Slow

Running across Paris was, much to Ladybug’s surprise, only SLIGHTLY more tiring when she was sick than when she was healthy. She wasn’t sure whether it was the suit or the athleticism she’d recently developed, but she was well aware that, last time she’d been sick, she’d had trouble making it up the stairs without wheezing, and now she was leaping from rooftop to rooftop with barely a hitch in her breath.

Her parents had been reluctant to let her go to Adrien’s by herself “in this state”—they’d wanted to close up the bakery and come with her, just to make sure she made it there okay. The arguing didn’t stop until she’d rolled her eyes, pushed back her chair, and executed a perfect triple back handspring in front of their astonished gazes without the assistance of the suit. They’d been utterly flabbergasted, of course, that their daughter who so regularly tripped over her own toes had gained such acrobatic prowess under their noses, but... well, she was Ladybug. The Dupain-Cheng family was going to have a lot of new realities to get used to, parents and daughter both.

The easiest of those realities was across the street. She could see him through the wide windows of his bedroom, collapsed across his bed like a human starfish. It was so unlike the perfect model Adrien, so... Chat.

Accepting that Adrien was occasionally a human disaster had been far less difficult—and far more comforting—than she’d ever been able to expect. This wasn’t just her crush Adrien; this was her friend Adrien, and her partner Chat.

She wondered how much of him she’d missed trying to keep them separate.

She swung across the street and dropped onto his balcony, making no attempt at stealth, and yet he didn’t stir. Apparently, he’d fallen asleep while waiting for her, judging by the line of drool from his mouth.

She giggled, which, with her stuffed nose, came out as a wet snort. She’d never seen either of them like this before; it was stunningly adorable.

She raised a fist to knock on his window, but it opened under her knuckles—the idiot Cat had left it unlocked. Quietly, she slung herself into the room, walking softly towards his bed.

”Morning, Adrien,” she whispered in his ear.

He shrieked, flinging bedsheets everywhere, but she was already away, clear of his line of fire.

He settled, eyes half-closed, and turned to look at her. “You’re not Marinette,” he slurred.

She stepped forward and booped him on the nose. “Did you forget?”

He blinked, somehow involving his entire face in the motion. “Ladybug?”

”Hi, Kitty.” She waved. “Dreaming about me?”

Adrien’s face reddened. “Um, I, uh—” he stammered, glancing down at his pants.

Ladybug gasped as she felt her face heat in return. _Oh. THAT kind of dream._ “Oh my god, Kitty, TMI!” she groaned.

Adrien grimaced. “You asked,” he said, crossing his legs to hide his NOPE NOPE NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT.

Ladybug averted her eyes, putting a hand between her innocent gaze and his... okay, maybe her gaze hadn’t been so innocent, but STILL. The principle stood. “Um, Adrien?”

”...yeah?”

”Which one of me were you dreaming about?”

Adrien coughed. “Um. Marinette.”

Ladybug’s face heated all over again, and she giggled. “Oh.”

Adrien shot upright with a panicked... jazz hands? “I’m sorry, I know that’s a little weird, I didn’t mean to—”

”It’s fine!” Ladybug yelped. “It’s not like I haven’t... you know...” She sighed. “This is not going well. Hang on.” She cleared her throat. “Spots off!”

There was a flash of pink, Tikki spiraled out of her earrings, and there they were: Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste, at a loss for words like always, but this time—somehow—more comfortable. Like this silence wasn’t a failure to communicate; indeed, for the moment, it said everything they needed to.

Until Plagg cleared his throat. “Is one of you gonna talk, or what?”

”Plagg,” Tikki groaned. “Let them find their own pace.”

”But I’m hungryyyyyyy.”

“You know where the cheese is,” Adrien said, without breaking eye contact with Marinette.

The two of them continued to stare at each other, ignoring Plagg’s whoop of delight.

”Can I... say something?” Adrien said.

Marinette nodded.

”I love you.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought this through at all, she realized—or maybe he couldn’t. His next words only confirmed her expectations.

”I’ve loved you since the moment we met. And I am willing to do anything—”

”Kitty, stop,” she said, raising her hand.

Adrien’s face collapsed.

Marinette sighed. “This isn’t a marriage proposal,” she said. “Yes, I do like you. I’m fairly certain I love you. I know I trust you more than I trust anyone else in my life.”

She could see him lightening with every word, but there was something in him that was still waiting for the “But.” For the gut punch. For her to say she was leaving him.

”But we can’t rush into anything,” she said. “We don’t know each other as well as we’d like to, and certainly not well enough to pledge... whatever you were about to. So what I’d like...” She smiled, a shy smile, an unsure smile. “We have to start somewhere. So... I’d like to ask you to the movies. If that’s okay with you.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Like, on a date?”

Marinette nodded.

”You’re not leaving,” he whispered.

”I’m not going anywhere,” she said, then grinned. “Except maybe to the movies.”

”My Lady...” Adrien said, his voice cracking and his eyes glistening with tears, “I would like nothing more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be the end of the work, but it’s not the end of the story. I’m making a sequel! Keep on the lookout for that, and I hope you enjoyed!


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